Since the season-ending victory over Tennessee, Vanderbilt fans have eagerly awaited the opening of fall drills and their first chance to see the 2006 Commodore squad assembled together for practice. Friday night, on a cool evening in Nashville, a few dozen fans braved the afternoon thunderstorms to head to the McGugin practice complex to watch the 'Dores in action.

Vanderbilt Coach Bobby Johnson put his team through a three-hour workout in shorts, jerseys, and helmets. Practice was divided between positional drills and short, scrimmage-like drills pitting offenses against defenses, with several minutes of special teams drills thrown in-between.

Because practice conditions at this point don't begin to resemble game conditions, one would be foolish to read much into the first day's workout. Per NCAA rules, Vanderbilt will not put on full pads and begin hitting for the first four practices. Even Johnson downplayed the importance of the first day of drills.